Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CKGSA) | December 11th, 2019

Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Revised)

Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CKGSA) | July 13th, 2022

Characterization of Groundwater Recharge and Flow in California's San Joaquin Valley From InSAR-Observed Surface Deformation

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | March 4th, 2021

Surface deformation in California's Central Valley (CV) has long been linked to changes in groundwater storage. Recent advances in remote sensing have enabled the mappin

Surface deformation in California's Central Valley (CV) has long been linked to changes in groundwater storage. Recent advances in remote sensing have enabled the mapping of CV deformation and associated changes in groundwater resources at increasingly higher spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we use interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) from the Sentinel-1 missions, augmented by continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) positioning, to characterize the surface deformation of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV, southern two-thirds of the CV) for consecutive dry (2016) and wet (2017) water years. We separate trends and seasonal oscillations in deformation time series and interpret them in the context of surface and groundwater hydrology. We find that subsidence rates in 2016 (mean −42.0 mm/yr; peak −345 mm/yr) are twice that in 2017 (mean −20.4 mm/yr; peak −177 mm/yr), consistent with increased groundwater pumping in 2016 to offset the loss of surface-water deliveries. Locations of greatest subsidence migrated outwards from the valley axis in the wetter 2017 water year, possibly reflecting a surplus of surface-water supplies in the lowest portions of the SJV. Patterns in the amplitude of seasonal deformation and the timing of peak seasonal uplift reveal entry points and potential pathways for groundwater recharge into the SJV and subsequent groundwater flow within the aquifer. This study provides novel insight into the SJV aquifer system that can be used to constrain groundwater flow and subsidence models, which has relevance to groundwater management in the context of California's 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

Chowchilla Subbasin Staff Assessment

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | April 1st, 2025

The state intervention process for the Chowchilla Subbasin was triggered in March 2023 when DWR determined the subbasin’s 2022 GSP was inadequate and identified multipl

The state intervention process for the Chowchilla Subbasin was triggered in March 2023 when DWR determined the subbasin’s 2022 GSP was inadequate and identified multiple deficiencies in the GSP. DWR identified issues regarding the local agencies’ plans for managing for the chronic lowering of groundwater levels and land subsidence (land sinking due to groundwater pumping). State Water Board staff reviewed the 2022 GSP and determined that implementing the 2022 GSP would result in additional groundwater level declines, potential impacts to drinking water wells, and damage to subbasin infrastructure, such as canals and levees, through continued land subsidence. The GSAs released a revised draft GSP in August 2024, which they adopted with slight revisions in March 2025 (2025 GSP). State Water Board staff evaluated the 2025 GSP to determine if identified deficiencies were addressed. The GSAs made significant progress through the 2025 GSP and adequately addressed deficiencies. Through the 2025 GSP, the GSAs show a greater commitment to protecting drinking water users and improved groundwater management. State Water Board staff concludes the GSAs amended the GSP such that a probationary designation of the Chowchilla Subbasin is unnecessary and recommends the Board return the Subbasin to DWR’s jurisdiction for continued evaluation of local management under SGMA.

Chowchilla Subbasin Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Groundwater Sustainability Plan (3rd Revision)

Madera County | January 3rd, 2025

In 2024-2025, the GSAs revised the Subbasin GSP to:  Amend the Domestic Well Mitigation Program Refine the Groundwater Level Representative Monitoring Sites (RMS

In 2024-2025, the GSAs revised the Subbasin GSP to:  Amend the Domestic Well Mitigation Program Refine the Groundwater Level Representative Monitoring Sites (RMS) Network Refine Groundwater Level Sustainable Management Criteria (SMC)  Backstop Projects and Management Actions Refine Subsidence SMC and Provide for Subsidence Mitigation

Chowchilla Subbasin Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Revised)

Chowchilla Subbasin GSP Advisory Committee | July 27th, 2022

Due to file size, this document has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Par

Due to file size, this document has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17  

Chowchilla Subbasin Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Groundwater Sustainablity Plan

Chowchilla Subbasin GSP Advisory Committee | January 1st, 2020

Coastal Plain of Orange County, Basin 8-001 Alternative to a Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Orange County Water District (OCWD) | January 1st, 2017

Collaborative Governance and Environmental Justice: Disadvantaged Community Representation in California Sustainable Groundwater Management

Western Political Science Association | April 18th, 2019

A consistent critique of the theory and empirical research on collaborative governance is a lack of conceptualization and analysis of the role of political power and ine

A consistent critique of the theory and empirical research on collaborative governance is a lack of conceptualization and analysis of the role of political power and inequality (Foster 2002; Franks and Cleaver 2007; Morrison et al. 2017; Purdy 2012). The critique is more broadly applied to public policy and institutional analysis in general (Knight 1992; Moe 2005), and has implications the democratic legitimacy of governance arrangements (Alexander, Doorn, and Priest 2018). Political institutions provide differential access to decision-making (Besley and Case 2003), while political groups and individuals have higher or lower capacity to participate in governance systems and influence the outcomes (Olson 2009; Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith 1993; Stigler 1971). Thus, there continues to be a need for empirical research focused on the crucial issue of how these factors affect the structure and function of governance institutions. This article contributes to this discussion by analyzing the representation of disadvantaged communities in the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in California.

Colusa County | Managed Aquifer Recharge: benefitting aquifers, farmers, and migratory birds

Nature Conservancy | September 3rd, 2018

In partnership with growers and the Colusa Groundwater Authority (CGA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is implementing a pilot multiple-benefit managed aquifer r

In partnership with growers and the Colusa Groundwater Authority (CGA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is implementing a pilot multiple-benefit managed aquifer recharge (MAR) program on farmland in California’s Central Valley, Colusa County. This program will benefit local groundwater users by replenishing critical domestic and agricultural groundwater supplies in a Severely Disadvanateged Community (SDAC). Participating farmers will benefit economically through incentive payments, and migratory shorebirds will benefit through the creation of critical winter habitat on farms through our specific field and water depth specificiations. MAR sites will be selected where and when it is appropriate and cost-effective to do so based on farming practices, soil suitability, water availability, basin water balances, and migratory/shorebird habitat requirements. The relevance and success of this program for Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDACs), and Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) will require all of these stakeholders and project participants to collaborate on its design. Thus, TNC will engage growers, water managers, and other stakeholders in a variety of formal and informal ways to ensure that this program will meet the needs of all parties involved in GSP development. This program serves as a model for other GSAs and stakeholders seeking to deliver multiple benefits through on-farm recharge in the Central Valley where such a program is appropriate.